Overview

• Odisha Crime Branch said a preliminary probe found prima facie evidence that an organised network sought to subvert the SI examination for monetary gain.
• Police counts now list 118 arrests after taking alleged racket member Biswaranjan Behera into custody, following the Berhampur pickup of 114 aspirants and three brokers bound for a “special coaching” stop in Andhra Pradesh.
• Investigators reported candidate confessions of agreed payments up to ₹25 lakh per post, including ₹10 lakh upfront before appointments.
• The Odisha Police Recruitment Board postponed the October 5–6 written test for 933 posts that drew 1.53 lakh applicants, and hundreds of aspirants protested in Bhubaneswar.
• Opposition parties demanded a CBI or judicial probe and questioned subcontracting from ITI to Richminds to Silicon to Panchsoft, as alleged masterminds Shankar Prusty and Muna Mohanty were reported absconding.